Options available if financially unable to pay child support

On Behalf of | Jan 2, 2019 | Child Support |

Divorce is never easy and can be further complicated when children are involved. Child support arrangements are meant to provide for the continued health and well-being of the couple’s children in Florida. While child support agreements are often established by the court, the court does understand that circumstances can change. Child support payments can be revisited if a person’s financial circumstances change. However, simply failing to pay child support can result in jail time.

A man in another state was recently jailed for failing to pay $114,000 in child support. He had been divorced in 2000 and the support amount was set at $780 per month. According to court records, the man worked as a plumber for different companies over the 17-year period. Over that time, he reportedly paid over $24,000 in support payments but fell significantly behind the amount owed. According to his ex-wife, he had not paid any amount since Sept. 2014.

The man was arrested and jailed in lieu of $1.3 million in bail. He claimed to have serious health issues and even said he was on his deathbed at the time of his arrest. A judge did grant him a medical leave from jail while he was being treated in an inpatient facility.

Courts know that financial and medical situations can arise that one is not prepared for. If a parent who is paying child support suffers a financial or physical setback in Florida, one course of action is to appeal to the court to modify a child support settlement. This can begin by having a conversation with a family law attorney who can review a person’s situation and help the client to understand the legal options that may be available.